Lost & Found
by Mike the TV
Summary: Trying to cope with fear and uncertainty of growing up alone in the games, Enzo and AndrAIa draw comfort from the only possible source - each other. *Warning* - This fic contains strong sexual content. *Please* do not read on if this might offend you!


"AndrAIa

Author's Note: This story takes place sometimes after "Game Over", when Enzo and AndrAIa are perhaps 15 User years old. If that offends you please stop reading, but I hope it doesn't. Imagine facing the ravages of adolescence with no one to help you understand them. How can the act of love ever be nobler than as an expression of total devotion to someone in pain? That's what inspired me to write this fic.

LOST AND FOUND By

Mike the TV

"AndrAIa!"

"Over here, Enzo!" the girl shouted from the deck, her aquamarine hair whipping fiercely in the howling wind. Frisket seemed to be the only one enjoying himself, his tongue flapping in the breeze as he poked his head out over the rail.

"Get in here!" the boy shouted desperately from the bridge, trying to make himself heard over the gale. "I don't care if you _can_ breathe under water – I'm not losing you over the side!"

"I was tying down Frisket!" the girl panted, rainwater dripping from her blue and white uniform. The material was so wet it was almost translucent – and that funny white cap sure looked cute on the game sprite. _Crash! Why did I think of that now?_

"Enzo? Enzo are you listening? He was running around like crazy out there – one good wave could have swept him overboard. I don't even know if he can swim-"

"Sorry!" Enzo said hastily, shaking his head. He was dressed in white breeches and shirt and a blue jacket with golden epaulets. When he'd rebooted he'd thought the uniform suited him – even the black eye patch. He was grateful to the med-techs who'd replaced his mangled eye, but that didn't mean he wanted anyone looking at it. _I think she likes the uniform too – I saw her looking at me before…_

"Enzo!"

"Right! So - He's tied up? He's safe?"

"Yeah." The game sprite nodded, touching his elbow. "Are you OK, Guardian? You're acting funny."

A huge wave slammed into the wooden boat, causing a terrifying pitch and roll. Enzo and AndrAIa grabbed each other to keep from falling and slammed into the wheel, hard. "Andri! You OK?"

"Fine!" the girl panted. Enzo smiled in relief, looking deep into her eyes. It was something he found easy to do. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"Are you going to let me go?"

"Sorry!" The young sprite hastily backed away. "C'mon – let's get this over with. If Napoleon's navy doesn't get us this storm will. Let's blast his flagship out of the water and go- go…" He couldn't finish the sentence.

"Don't worry." AndrAIa said warmly. "One game at a time, right?"

"Right." He sighed. "Head for the main gun – I'll steer her fifteen degrees port and head straight for his flagship. One more good blast ought to end this basic game."

"Roger, Guardian!"

"Game Over"

"All right! That was awesome, Enzo!" AndrAIa held out her hand, grinning.

Enzo mustered a smile and slapped her palm. "Alphanumeric."

"Did you see they way that battleship went down? Split in half like a memory wafer!" the girl giggled. "Wasn't it cool?"

"Yeah – pixelacious." Enzo bent down and hugged Frisket to his chest, scratching his ears. "You OK, Boy?"

"What's wrong, Enzo? We won!"

"I know. Just miss home, I guess." Enzo sighed. It was the twentieth game they'd won since they'd fixed his eye – he'd never been much for details, but _that_ he kept track of – and it seemed like they were no closer to Mainframe. The boy straightened and looked around, taking in the system around them. Fittingly after the game they'd just finished they stood on edge of a vast data sea, but now the waves which broke on the shore were gentle, and the sea almost as smooth as glass. The boy and girl stood on a sandy beach which stretched as far as the eye could see in either direction, and behind them a dense jungle of directory trees rose on the side of a steeply sloping hill. "Great."

"What's the matter?"

"No sign of life." The youth frowned. He lifted his forearm. "Glitch – stats."

"Well? What does he say?"

Enzo smiled a bit at the game sprite's habit of referring to Glitch as "he" – but the smile quickly faded as data scrolled down the battered keytool's display. "Delete it – no ports to the net! Naturally - why should this system be any different?"

"I'm sorry, Enzo." AndrAIa said softly. Enzo squeezed his eyes shut in seeming pain, and the girl rested a hand on his elbow. He started slightly at the touch. "It'll be all right – we'll get home…"

"I know." Enzo sighed. "I'm just so… So tired, Andri. It's just game after game after game – and for what? Nothing ever changes!"

"Some things change. You're taller, and your hair's longer…"

"Ha ha!" The boy sat cross-legged on the sand and hid his face in his hands. "User, Andri – I wish I was home…"

"I know, Guardian." Enzo heard the game sprite sit next to him, and then there were several nanos of silence. Finally, much to his surprise, he felt her lips on his cheek, softly.

"Andri!" he gasped, turning to stare at her. "What… What was that for?"

"You looked like you needed it." She smiled. "I've seen one of your kind do that, when the other is sad or upset. Does your sister not kiss your cheek to make you feel better?"

"I- She… Sometimes she does, I guess." That hadn't felt like getting kissed by his sister, Enzo was sure of _that_. Still, he couldn't deny he felt better than he had a nano earlier. "Thanks… Thanks Andri."

"You are welcome, Guardian." The game sprite giggled.

"You've changed too, you know." Enzo whispered, noticing it for the first time. Or _was_ it the first time?

"Have I?"

"Yeah. You're – you know… Taller. I guess."

AndrAIa giggled again. "You're acting silly, Enzo!"

"Maybe I am." He smiled crookedly. "Well – I guess we should get moving - according to Glitch the night cycle here's going to start in less than a second."

"Where is their city, Guardian?"

"I dunno." The boy frowned, standing and absently wiping the sand from his backside. He surveyed the rugged jungle on one side, the sea on the other. He turned to find AndrAIa standing next to him, following his lead and determinedly studying the terrain. "Uh, Andri… You've got sand on - on your…"

"Huh?"

"On your – you know…" he blushed.

"Oops!" she giggled, brushing herself off. "Thank you!"

"No prob." Enzo sighed, running a hand over his eyes. Why couldn't he _concentrate_? "It's weird, Andri – Glitch isn't picking up any power sources. The game wouldn't have dropped us here if this was an abandoned system. Weird…"

"It's pretty, though." AndrAIa smiled. The system's sun was setting over the data, lending a burnt orange color to the cobalt sky. "I like it. The sea is very beautiful – it is the color of my game."

"Yeah." Enzo grinned. "I guess it is. But I can't find any power source – I don't know where their P.O. is or anything."

"What should we do?"

The boy scratched his head, still not completely comfortable being depended on for strategy. "Well... I bet the reason Glitch isn't picking up any power is because that mountain is in the way. I remember Bob telling me that Glitch can't scan through certain kinds of rocks and stuff."

"You are very clever!"

"Thanks." He sighed with a shake of the head. "That jungle looks pretty thick, and that mountain is really steep. I don't think we should try to climb it at night. We better walk along the data sea and try to go around it, at least until it gets dark. Then… Then I guess if we don't find it we sleep out here."

"That sounds like a good plan." AndrAIa said seriously.

"I guess. I hope there aren't any dangerous animals or anything. What're you doing?"

"Taking my shoes off!" the girl grinned.

"Why?"

"The feeling of sand between your toes is a wonderful thing, Guardian! Have you never felt it?"

"Um…No, I guess not…" Enzo hesitated. "We don't really have beaches in Mainframe." Then game sprite had kicked off her blue sandals and was luxuriantly squeezing sand between her toes. Enzo was mesmerized.

"What's the matter?"

"You've got webbed toes!" he blurted out, then blushed.

"Of course, Silly! I come from the sea, you know! Do you not like them?"

"I- I like them." Enzo smiled. "I guess I just never noticed before. They're cute!"

"Ha ha! Come on, Guardian – don't be a null! Frisket and I are both barefoot – you don't want to be the odd sprite out, do you?"

"Guess not." He chuckled nervously. He knelt down and pulled off one black boot, than the other, doffing his socks and stuffing them inside. "That does feel kinda nice."

"Oh, Enzo?" AndrAIa grinned, staring down at him.

"Yes?"

"Nothing…" the girl said demurely. "Except… This!" With that, she kicked a cloud of sand on him and took off down the beach, laughing. Frisket, barking gaily, took off after her.

Enzo coughed and spluttered for a moment, than grabbed his boots. "I'll get _you_!" He took off at a run, his feet making slapping sounds as they pounded on the wet sand. For a nano, at least, he felt free.

It had been dark for a long time – Enzo wasn't sure just how long – when his weariness finally got the better of him. It had been pleasant, almost intoxicating walking along the beach behind AndrAIa. The sand was warm on his feet, the sound of gently crashing waves was soothing, and the view in all directions – moonlit data sea and jungle, starlit sky, and in the other direction as well – could hardly have been more beautiful.

But there were limits to his endurance, even if Andri and Frisket never seemed to show signs of weariness. Enzo never remembered being tired in Mainframe – it seemed he was always in one of two states, turbo mode or asleep. Since they'd been lost he always felt tired, as much in his processor as his body.

He looked around. It was a good place – the data sea curved inwards, forming a narrow lagoon, calm as glass and shrouded by thick trees. "Andri, I'm beat. I think we better think about stopping."

"You're the Guardian." The girl said amiably. "Where shall we sleep?"

Enzo scratched his chin. "I don't think we need to worry about a shelter – it's plenty warm and it sure doesn't look there's any data storms around. This sand is nice and soft – I say we dock right on the beach."

"How wonderful! I shall be able to listen to the water as I sleep – there is nothing better, Enzo." The boy grabbed her hands as the moonlight caught her hair, momentarily awestruck. "Enzo?"

"Nothing…" He released her. "So – we sleep here, then."

"Cool! I am hungry, Guardian. I would like to eat something before we sleep."

"Me too." The boy mopped his brow and scowled. "I feel all sweaty and dirty, too. Maybe I'll take a bath in that lagoon over there…"

"And I can forage. There must be many edible fruits in these trees."

"Forage?" Enzo frowned. Even though he knew the game sprite's capabilities all too well, he couldn't help but worry when she went off on her own. "Be careful – it's pretty dark. Down wander too far into the jungle and get lost. And watch out for animals!"

The game sprite rolled her eyes. "I will have Frisket with me, Guardian. Do not worry – I made sure we did not starve while you were too sick to help care for us, did I not?"

The boy winced. "Sure. Sorry, Andri. I just get worried - guess it's in my code…"

"Enjoy your bath!" she giggled. The girl took off at a trot towards the trees, Frisket giving one bark and taking off at her heels. Enzo smiled at her perpetual cheerfulness, shook his head, and set his boots down in the sand. He set off towards the lagoon, stepping gingerly through the bushes and low grass at its edge.

The boy tested the data with his toe, finding it pleasingly warm, almost like a bath at home. With a sigh he removed his icon, tapped it and booted out of his clothes, shivering slightly in the tepid night air. He set the icon on a rock and eased his way into the clear data.

He let the warm comfort of the lagoon wash over him, closing his eyes and feeling the tension in his muscles start to relax. There was no soap or shampoo, of course, but the lagoon was sparklingly clean and felt good as it cleansed the dried sweat from his frame. He held his breath and ducked his head, fiercely rubbing the data into his hair. There was no sound bar the whisper of the breeze in the trees, the hushed lapping of the sea behind him and the soft cry of a night bird. It was perfect.

No it wasn't – it was nice, but it wasn't perfect. Andri wasn't with him, so how _could_ it be perfect? He wished she were there, then caught himself. How could he wish she were _there_, of all places and times? What a thought! Why had it popped into his head? He felt himself blushing for some reason, and quickly splashed data on his face. "Basic! You're basic…"

To his chagrin, his body chose that nano to display a growing state of arousal. He tried to will himself soft, to clear his mind, but soon he was hard as a rock and tingling all over. It was a problem that seemed to plague him more and more, and it was taking more and more of his energy to conceal it from AndrAIa. "Crash! Why is this happening?" he muttered to himself. All kinds of weird things were happening down there, ever since his last upgrade…

The boy stayed in the lagoon for several nanos, hoping against hope that his body would obey him for once instead of betray him, but it was to no avail. As always it would do what it wanted when it wanted, and there was nothing Enzo could do about it. He looked around nervously, sighed, and stepped out of the water. "Crash!" he groaned. "I don't have a towel!" Why was he always forgetting stuff like that? _Some Guardian you are – can't even think two nanos ahead… Now you're dripping wet and there's nothing you can do about it!_ _You can't do anything about anything._

Muttering to himself, the boy picked up his icon and booted back into his uniform, grimacing as the material soaked up the moisture from his bath and clung to his skin. "That's gonna be pretty uncomfortable tomorrow…" he sighed, setting off through the trees.

"How do you like your supper, Enzo?"

"Pixelacious." The youngster grinned, peeling another mango. "These things are really good, Andri. You sure know how to forage and stuff."

"Thanks." She giggled, absently wiping mango juice from her chin. "I don't think Frisket thinks so, though." The dog was gloomily sitting a short distance away, watching the young sprites eating.

"Frisket! Want some fruit, boy? It's sweet!" Enzo offered a wedge of mango, but Frisket merely sniffed it and turned his head away disdainfully.

"I don't think he likes it, Enzo."

"Nope." Enzo smiled. "He's a carnivore, Andri. He'll probably wait till we're asleep and go hunt something for dinner."

"Poor Frisket..." The game sprite scratched the appreciative canine's ears sympathetically.

"He'll be OK. He's feral." Enzo tossed a mango rind aside and lay back, hands behind his head. "User, Andri – that sky is so beautiful. I never knew there were so many stars."

The girl lay next to him, mimicking his position. "There were no stars in my game. Only water and fish. And sometimes Users…"

"There's so much light in Mainframe, you can hardly see the stars. Not like here, anyways. Wonder where we are…"

"What are the stars, Guardian?" AndrAIa asked softly.

"Dot says that every one of them is a system. You know – like Mainframe. She told me there were millions and millions of 'em. Or billions… I forget."

"That sounds like a lot!"

"It is." Enzo giggled. The game sprite was so intelligent and intuitive, it was easy to forget she was still so new to his world.

"All of those little lights are systems like Mainframe? There must be so many sprites! It hardly seems possible…"

"Yeah." Enzo whispered. "The net is a really really big place. The web is even bigger!"

"Well – all I know is that they are very beautiful." The girl said decisively.

"Yeah…" Enzo tuned his head to look at her, marveling at the golden skin on her neck, craned back as she stared at the sky. "Beautiful."

The girl smiled at him. "What are you thinking about, Enzo?"

"What?"

"You were grinning at me! What were you thinking about?"

"Oh! Nothing. Just- just about how nice this place is, I guess. Even if it's not home."

"Oh." She was silent for a moment. "Enzo, why do some systems have moons and other do not?"

The boy frowned and scratched his head. "Um… I guess I really don't know, AndrAIa. Phong would know."

"It is not important. This moon is very pretty – that is enough."

"Yeah, I guess." The boy chuckled. He yawned deeply. "I guess we should go to sleep – I'm pretty tired."

"As you wish." The game sprite promptly rolled onto her side, tucked her hands under her head and closed her eyes.

Enzo shook his head. _Wish it were that easy!_ He stretched out and tried to get comfortable, but it was impossible – his uniform was soaked and clammy. The boy wished he'd downloaded some sort of wardrobe upgrade onto his icon before they'd left home– pajamas, shorts and t-shirt, anything! But who figured he was going to need it in a game, for User's sake? There had been shops in some of the systems they'd visited, of course – but they were two young sprites without any credits to their name.

The youth shifted uncomfortably for a few nanos, trying different positions, but it was no use. He sighed and looked over at the game sprite an arm's length away from him. "Andri?"

"Hmmm?" If she'd been asleep, she was just as instantly awake. "What is it, Enzo?"

"Uh… D'you mind if I sleep with my shirt off? It's just that it's, y'know… Kinda soaked and everything." He felt his ears turning red.

"Of course not." The girl smiled.

"Thanks." He sighed. She closed her eyes again without another word. "Night…"

"Good night, Sparky."

Enzo smiled in spite of himself, staring at her still form. He slipped his uniform top over his head and tossed the garment aside, then lay back with a sigh. _At least half of me can be comfortable._ The boy hugged his arms across his chest and glanced over at AndrAIa. His face felt flushed and hot. He rolled away from her and hugged himself tighter.

The night was pleasantly cool but Enzo felt himself sweating. He found himself aware of the game sprite's presence in a way he'd never been before. Her breathing, her tiny movements in the sand, even the warmth of her body, though she was an arms' length away. He felt them all, deep in his core.

_What in the net's the matter with you? You're basic! Just try and sleep… _His processor was running on overdrive all of a sudden, even as his body cried out for rest. _Just try and sleep._

_Hey – she never called me that before! Wonder what it means…_

There was sleep, gently ushered in by the soothing sound of waves kissing the beach on which Enzo lay and crickets and frogs in the tall grass by the lagoon. It was a troubled sleep, though – a distressingly common occurrence. He was haunted not so much by dreams, but by waves of thought – faces and feelings and impulses that the boy was dimly aware of as they raced across his unconscious.

Some nights he saw the face of the demon that had claimed his eye and devastated his existence, and the feeling that subsumed him was one of terror. Sometimes he saw Bob and Dot, and could feel a melancholy yearning so strong that it threatened to wake him from sleep but never did. More often than not of late, though, the face that visited had been AndrAIa's, and the feelings were more confusing and, on some level, even more powerful.

As he slept he felt her presence consume him, seep into his deepest places. He felt a yearning that was deeper and more powerful than anything else he'd experienced. It was joy, fear, sadness, and every other feeling he could imagine rolled into one. There were other things, too, that he never remembered the next cycle except for their sheer power, the way they rocked his soul as he slept, changed him and terrified him and left him breathless and panting and frightened. The boy felt a fire that seemed to start deep inside him and slowly spread through him, his body, his processor, his soul. The fire became his whole existence. He _was_ that fire – there was no separating himself from it. They were one. It was frightening but he felt the need to give himself to it, surrender to its hold over him, and let it carry him where it would.

The young sprite woke with a gasp, disoriented. His heartbeat was a pounding drum in his ears. He looked around desperately and placed himself as the memory came back and the fire receded, slowly allowing thought and reason to creep back into his processor. Finally, the fire was gone and, in its wake, the boy was a panting, frightened wreck.

Enzo felt a sticky wetness at his groin, the only tangible remnant of the ordeal that had wracked his body. "Oh no – not again!" he moaned softly, a crushing depression settling over him. _Delete it! What's happening to me?_

The young Guardian covered his eyes and curled up into a ball, trying to will himself back to sleep, knowing from experience that it was a futile effort. Hope seemed as far away as the distant systems in the sky. _Damn you, Bob! Delete teaching me about games – why didn't you warn me about this? Why? Why?_

His loneliness was total - it felt like the weight of the entire web on his back. How could he possibly cope with surviving games and finding his way home when he was going crazy? His spirit reached out instinctively, as he has since he was a tiny child, but the emptiness it found only made the boy's devastation more total. _Dot, where are you? I need you! Why aren't you here?_

"Enzo?"

AndrAIa's soft voice jerked the youngster back to the moment at hand. He held still, hoping she'd leave him as he was. He jerked stiff as he felt her touch on his shoulder. "Enzo, are you all right?"

"I'm fine." He rasped. "Go back to sleep."

"Enzo, you were crying." She said softly. "What's the matter?"

Crying? He'd been crying? The boy felt the wetness and his cheek and realized it was true. "I… It's nothing. Please – just leave me alone."

There was silence for several nanos, and Enzo wasn't about to be the one to break it. He felt her touch leave his arm and hoped she'd gone back to sleep. Like a bolt of lightning, he felt her kiss his cheek softly. "Enzo…"

"Andri?" Enzo gasped at the touch, but didn't turn towards her.

The game sprite sighed and lay her head on his bare shoulder. "What's wrong, Enzo? Why do you thrash about and cry in your sleep? Please talk to me."

He heard himself sob softly once, then twice, ashamed of himself but helpless. "I'm scared."

"It happens often. What frightens you? Why can you not tell me?"

Often? She knew! But how _could_ he tell her? "Because- because I don't know, Andri. I'm scared and weird things are happening and I don't know why…"

"What kinds of things?"

"Oh, Andri…" She couldn't understand – how could she possibly? She was a girl! And she wasn't even from his world – she was a game sprite! She kissed his cheek again. "Please stop, AndrAIa."

"No."

"What?" To Enzo's chagrin the girl gently rolled him onto his back. "What're you doing?"

"I want you to look at me. I want you to tell me what's happening to you, so I can help you."

The boy stared up at her, trying to fight back the tears of frustration – and something else- that screamed to burst forth. "I… I don't know, OK? I think I'm going crazy and weird stuff is happening and I don't know why!"

The girl sighed softly. "It's something to do with this, isn't it?"

"What?" Enzo frowned.

"This." She repeated, and touched him between his thighs.

"Andri!" the young Guardian yelped, slapping her hand away. "Don't touch me there! It's… It's…"

The game sprite furrowed her brow in puzzlement. "Why do you react this way?"

Enzo found himself panting again, his heart racing. "I- It's just…" How could he _explain_ it?

"I am right, aren't I? When you have these strange dreams, and you whimper and you cry out in your sleep and then you wake… Your – your _thing_ – it grows bigger, does it not?"

"Oh, User!" Enzo moaned, covering his face. "AndrAIa, please stop! Stop talking about it!"

"Enzo – I do not understand. What is it that causes this to happen? And why does it make you frightened?"

"It just does! You wouldn't understand. _I_ don't understand, OK? I'm going offline and I just don't understand what's happening… How do you know about my- my… You know. How do you even _know _about it?"

The girl blushed – the first time Enzo could ever remember seeing her do so. "I looked at you when you were bathing. In the lagoon."

"_What_?!" His blush put the girl's to shame.

"I am sorry, Enzo…" AndrAIa said softly. "I was curious – I have never seen you before without your clothing. So I hid in the grass and I watched you and I saw your thing when you got out of the lagoon."

"User! Just delete me now, please! Just delete me now…"

"It explains much. It is strange, but I understand more, now. Why does it grow, Enzo?"

"Oh Andri…" the youngster groaned. "I – It just does, OK? It's not like I decide when it's going to happen – it just does."

"I am sorry, Enzo. I did not mean to make you more upset."

"Andri, why – why did you even want to look at me, anyways?"

The game sprite blushed again. "I was curious, I told you. You… You are not the only one who feels strange things happening."

"Andri! What do you mean?"

"Of late sometimes I… I find that I am thinking abut you. But not as I thought about you when you first came to my game. It is different."

"Different?" Enzo whispered. "Different how?"

She looked away. "I cannot really explain it, Guardian. I think about your body for no reason, and I want to be near it. It makes me feel strange – chilled and warm all at the same time. And when I heard you splashing in the lagoon, I- I…"

Enzo could hardly believe his ears. Could it be true – was she really as confused as he was? He found his hand wrapped around hers. "Its OK, Andri."

"I am sorry I looked at you without telling you." The girl said with a small smile. "But you were very beautiful."

"What?!"

"You are… beautiful. It made me feel happy to see you – like that. You were always beautiful to me, Guardian – but it is different now, somehow."

"Yeah." Enzo whispered. How could it be – AndrAIa found _him_ beautiful? What could she be thinking? He stroked her blue-green hair softly. "I think you're beautiful, too."

"Really?" she giggled.

"Yeah. I just never really thought about it that much – but yeah. I think you're the most beautiful sprite in the net."

"Enzo!" AndrAIa grinned broadly and lay her head down on his chest, her hair tickling his skin. "I do not understand everything… But I know that I want to be near you. Always."

"Andri…" She _was_ beautiful, there was no doubt about it. There was no part of her that was less than perfect, and it made him want to share himself with her completely. Her hair was soft under his hand, her cheek smooth and warm against his chest. "You know when you were asking about my… You know. Why it does what it does?"

"Yes…"

"I dunno why. I guess." The boy said softly. "But I know it has something to do with you. With how beautiful you are. When I think about it sometimes I- Sometimes it happens."

"Really?"

"Yeah." He nodded, secretly grateful that her gaze was directed towards his face. "I… I never really talked about it with anybody. With Bob or Dot or anything. But I think it's got to do with swapping codes."

"I heard some binomes at school talking about that… Do you really think so, Enzo?"

"Maybe." He sighed. _I wish I could talk to you guys now! I wish I could ask you some things…_

The game sprite was silent for a nano, thoughtfully tracing an outline on Enzo's neck with her finger. "Things are happening to me too, Enzo. To my body. I do not understand them…"

"What kinds of things?"

"Any change would be strange for me, Enzo. In my game nothing ever changed – I was as I was, and always I was the exact same girl. It was not until I came to your world that I began to- to grow."

"To upgrade." The boy said softly. She might not have notices the changes, but _he_ certainly had. She was of a somewhat different shape than when they'd first met, and he found it delightful. It was a strange comfort in retrospect, knowing she'd noticed the changes in _him_, too. "You get more beautiful every cycle."

"Oh, my Enzo!" she smiled, bringing his hand to her lips and kissing it softly. "I'm glad that my appearance pleases you. Some things that are happening I… You do not see them. I have odd feelings sometimes… Sometimes I hurt. Even bleed."

"Bleed?" Enzo gasped, alarmed. "Why didn't you tell me? We need to get you to a med-tech as soon-"

"Enzo!" she laughed softly. "Do not worry so much."

"But-"

"I get a little scared, sometimes. But I do not think I am sick. I think what is happening is supposed to happen. Even when it hurts, it feels _right_ somehow."

"I don't see how that could be right." Enzo said dubiously. "You were in pain, bleeding – how come I never noticed?"

"I did not want to concern you, Enzo. You seemed very concerned about other things as it was."

"Oh, AndrAIa…"

"Do not worry, My Enzo." The game sprite inched her way up his chest and kissed his cheek once more. "I know you will take care of me."

"I will, AndrAIa. Forever." He took her face in his hands, studying every micron of her – her golden skin, her teal eyes, her lips… "Oh, AndrAIa! AndrAIa…" He kissed her forehead softly, then buried his face in her hair. "AndrAIa…"

"My Enzo." The girl nuzzled his neck. "I know you will, Guardian."

"Just promise me we'll always be together, OK?"

"I promise." AndrAIa said softly. Enzo held her tightly for several more nanos, content just to absorb her presence. Her breath on his neck felt like fire. "You smell nice…"

"You got me all sweaty again!" he laughed softly.

She kissed his neck. "You smell like salt, and sweat, and sand…" He could feel her heartbeat against his skin. "It's wonderful."

Enzo could feel his breathing accelerating as a growing sense of unreality settled over him. "Andri…"

She lifted her head and smiled shyly, close enough that he could feel her breath on his face. "I have an idea."

"What is it?" he asked warily.

"Well, Guardian… I saw you before. When you were swimming, and I didn't even tell you. I think it's only right that you should see me."

The boy swallowed hard. "AndrAIa! R-really?"

"It's only fair." Th girl giggled. She raised herself onto her knees, straddling his chest.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." She whispered, and reached for her icon.

He grasped her wrist and held it gently. "Could… Could I?"

The girl raised an eyebrow in surprise, then smiled. "Of course." Enzo returned her smile, breathing hard. His hands trembled as he raised them, held her shoulders gently, paused. "It's all right, Enzo."

"OK." He whispered. She was trembling too, which made him feel better in some strange way. With unsteady hands the young Guardian lifted AndrAIa's seashell necklace over her head and set it aside. He slowly eased her blouse off her shoulders, down her forearms. The game sprite raised her arms over her head and the skin-tight garment fell to her waist.

"Oh, Andri!" he gasped. Her breasts were as perfect as he'd dreamed - small, round, and firm, the same glorious golden color as the rest of her. She laughed softly as his hands found them as of their own accord, cupped them gently. She closed her eyes and sighed as he tentatively traced her nipples with his finger, marveling as the little buds rose to firmness under his touch. "Is… Is it OK?"

The girl said nothing but smiled and nodded slightly. It was fascinating, the feel of the firm globes in his hands. The boy was terrified of course, but AndrAIa seemed to approve of whatever he was doing, so he continued to gingerly stroke and heft her breasts for a few nanos. Finally, she lifted her weight from him and moved his hands to her hips. "Please…"

"Oh, User!" Enzo whispered, hands trembling uncontrollably now. He couldn't coax them to move, no matter how he tried. AndrAIa smiled down at him, gently encouraging. Finally the boy closed his eyes tightly, and that disconnect seemed to free him from his paralyzing terror, at least a little. He wedged his fingers under the waistband of her leggings and tugged gently. There was resistance at first, but once they were clear of the fullness of her hips they slid down quickly, treating him to a tantalizing touch of bare skin on his fingers. He fell back breathing heavily, still not daring to open his eyes.

There was no sound bar his own labored and her gentle breathing, and the soft lap of the waves on the shore. Her weight was gone from him for a few nanos and he heard something fall to the sand near him. Then she was back – a firm weight on his belly, an intoxicating warmth all around him. Her breasts pressed against his chest, her hands were in his hair and her lips danced over his face. "My Enzo…"

The young Guardian dared to open his eyes at last, the game sprite's own teal orbs mere microns away. Her hands were behind his neck and he kissed her on the lips at last, his hands finding the soft swell of her buttocks. It was as if the past and the future ceased to exist, and the only thing that had ever mattered was that nano. "I know I want to be near you, Guardian. Always."

"I love you, Andri." He whispered, and kissed her again on the lips. He nuzzled her neck and ran his hands all over her back and hips, loving the smell and feel of her. She was perfect. Perfect.

"Love you." She sighed, squirming under his touch. They kissed again, a sizzling burst of pure fire that shot through him like lightning. She raised herself onto her elbows, now breathing almost as heavily as he was. "Enzo, I want to see you again. Like before, at the lagoon. Please?"

There was fear again, of course. But a part of him longed, more than anything, to make himself completely vulnerable to AndrAIa once and for all. He wanted his soul to be in her hands absolutely. Once he'd done that, there would be no turning back – and he never wanted to turn back. "OK."

The game sprite smiled reassuringly and kissed him softly on the lips one more time. She sat up and Enzo squeezed his eyes tight again, unable to bring himself to watch. He felt her hands at his waist and, after a brief pause, raised himself off the ground. Just like that, it was over in a nano – she slipped his uniform and underpants off in one motion and he felt warm sand against his backside, totally naked before her as she was before him.

When he opened his eyes the first thing he saw were her own, transfixed as she straddled his legs and stared at his manhood. He was stiff as a hard disk, of course – it felt as if his entire nervous system were flooding through his member. His gaze was distracted after a nano, though, as he saw her own sex and was as mesmerized as she.

It was remarkable – a tantalizing mystery, like nothing he'd ever imagined. Her legs merged into a gentle mound, a small cleft fringed by a tiny amount of teal down. Though his experience was sorely limited he was an intuitive sprite, and he knew at once that this was the very core of her womanhood, her sensuality – just as his penis was at the heart of his masculinity.

His trance was broken as he gasped at the feel of AndrAIa's hand, slowly stroking the small patch of downy hair above his erection. "Oh, User! Andri, I- I…"

"It's so beautiful, Enzo." The girl whispered. "Do all boys have one such as this?"

"I… I guess so, Andri." He gasped.

"Are they all so perfect?"

He giggled, of all things, at the very strangeness of the question. "I dunno. I only know… Y'know. _Me_."

She giggled too, in response to him. "My Enzo! What is this?"

Enzo gritted his teeth and shuddered as she ran a finger along his length, around his head. To his dismay, he'd forgotten about his dream - and its consequence. "I- I have these d-d-dreams, sometimes. Like t-tonight. And sometimes- Sometimes…"

"What is it, Enzo? Tell me, please! Do not be frightened."

The boy sighed and covered his eyes. "Sometimes I wake up and… Some stuff shoots out. I thought I was peeing at first but it's not pee – I don't know what it is."

The girl looked bewildered for a nano. "My Enzo… Do you remember I told you - I bleed, sometimes? This is where I bleed from, Enzo." She un-self-consciously pointed to her cleft. "Perhaps… Perhaps there is some connection, Enzo. Perhaps with the swapping of codes."

"Maybe." It was a fascinating idea – it made a lot of sense now that she'd told him, and it was definitely something he would be devoting a lot of thought to. At the nano, however, his body screamed out for anything but thought. All he wanted to listen to was instinct. He cupped the game sprite's small breasts in his hands, and she cooed softly and lowered her weight onto him again. Their lips met in another lightning-charged kiss, something Enzo found he could get used to quite quickly.

"I feel so good, Enzo." AndrAIa whispered, and Enzo wasn't about to disagree – she _did_. "So strange… Being close to you like this – it's incredible…"

"Oh User, Andri…" Enzo wrapped his arms around the game sprite and gently rolled her onto her back, raining soft kisses on her neck. He sat up, taking in the full magnificence of her body for a nano. She giggled softly, bringing a smile to his lips. On impulse, he knelt before her right breast and tentatively kissed the swell above her nipple.

"Oh, Enzo!" she gasped.

"Am- am I hurting you?"

"It's wonderful, Enzo." the girl breathed, stroking his hair. Emboldened, the young Guardian kissed her again and dared to take her swollen bud into his mouth, gingerly tasting her with his tongue. Both sprites responded with an astonished groan. Her taste, like the rest of her, was perfect, intoxicating. His head swam as if he'd imbibed ten I/O shots all at once.

The boy lovingly ministered to both of AndrAIa's breasts, the girl squirming and sighing in pure contentment underneath him. It was as if the rest of the net had fallen away, leaving only the two of them to lose themselves in the other. Each sprite was learning volumes as the nanos passed, their empathic connection showing them how to please the other. When Enzo came up for air the game sprite ran her hands over his chest, gently stroking his own nipples to hardness. The boy responded as she had, throwing his head back and sighing softly. "Lie next to me, Enzo."

The feel of her lips on his body was indescribable. She sucked on his nipples with complete gentleness, as tender with him as he had been with her. She kissed him all over, slowly working her way down his torso as she ran her hands over his back, his legs, his buttocks. He felt as if a thousand pixels were dancing over him, each pausing to gently impart a jolt of pure pleasure before moving on to repeat the process elsewhere on his body.

As if by unspoken agreement she paused and lay her head down in the sand next to his own. They smiled at each other, each sprite breathing heavily and running their fingers through the other's hair. Enzo sensed – and knew the girl did, too – that they were about to embark on a journey that would bind them together forever. As wonderful as the last few nanos had been, if they continued it would be an entirely more serious matter. He was afraid - a part of him had always been afraid – but there was never any question in his processor that he wanted to share pleasure with this girl, more than he'd ever wanted anything in his life.

_That's where the magic is!_ He realized in a moment of inspiration_. Both of us__feeling incredible at the same time… That's what makes it so amazing! _ Since there was no doubt in the young Guardian's processor where the center of _his_ physical pleasure was, it didn't take a genius like Phong to figure out where AndrAIa's was. He grinned at her and slowly kissed his way down her body, pausing only to gently lavish affection on her breasts one more time.

AndrAIa moaned softly as the boy slowly ran his hands over her lean, muscular legs. Like every part of her they filled him with maddening desire, now as plain as data where before it had been mysterious. Of course he should want to be with her – it was meant to be. How could not have seen it? He kissed her calves softly, tasting sweat and sand. With deliberation he worked his way higher, caressing her kneecaps with his lips before kissing her thighs, each touch bringing with it a sigh or moan from the game sprite.

One final chasm of fear opened up before him. When it was all processed he only knew _what_ he wanted to do – make AndrAIa feel better than she'd ever felt – not _how_ to go about it. This was her most private place, after all – what if he hurt her accidentally? Or just botched it up and she didn't even like it?

As if sensing his uncertainty AndrAIa laughed softly and ran her hands through his hair. "My Enzo…" she whispered. She nodded at him and he returned her smile, grateful for her unquestioning love. He returned to the task at hand and dared to look closely at the center of her young womanhood for the first time.

This was a part of her that was different than anywhere else, that much he knew. There was an intoxicating musk to her, a scent that touched someplace deep inside him that he didn't understand. He ran his hand slowly through the scant patch of down above her cleft and she purred appreciatively.

Enzo knew only one way to try to bring pleasure to the game sprite, the way that seemed to work on the rest of her. He traced a finger along the length of her cleft, momentarily startled to feel a slick wetness that he hadn't expected. He felt a shudder dance along the length of her body, which he took as a good sign. He continued to slowly run his finger up and down, the girl moaning softly as he did.

With a sharp intake of breath the young Guardian gingerly inserted his finger between the lips of her cleft. The slickness he'd felt allowed it to slip in easily, and AndrAIa let out an astonished gasp. The game sprite squirmed as Enzo slowly worked his digit in and out of her, fascinated, realizing only after he gasped himself that he'd been holding his breath.

Emboldened, the boy removed his finger and slowly lowered his head towards her, trembling. He tentatively kissed the soft hair above her opening and was shocked to hear a laugh escape her. He looked up, bewildered.

"Your hair tickles!" the girl giggled.

"S-sorry!" the boy replied, mouth agape.

"It's OK. I like it!" she purred, seductively running her fingers through his offending mop. The young Guardian smiled and returned to the task of hand, planting another kiss on her mound. Fighting down the last of his fear his finally rested his mouth upon her smooth cleft, rewarded with a sigh from deep inside her. Her taste was odd, bitter and sweet at the same time. Like everything about her, he loved it instantly.

"Oh my User, Enzo! Enzo…" The boy continued to gently kiss AndrAIa's opening for several nanos, gingerly tasting her insides with his tongue. If the taste of her nipple had been intoxicating, this dwarfed it – he felt a lightness and sense of unreality that shocked him to his very core. His tongue found a small knob of flesh inside her, and he flicked lightly across it. She gasped and stiffened, but the boy was learning to read the signals she was sending to him. She liked it, that much he was sure of.

He found the knob again and closed his lips around it gently, slowly drawing on it as he had her breasts. Each touch of his tongue sent wild shivers through the game sprite. There were no words, but a steady stream of gasps, sighs and moans escaped her lips. Clearly she appreciated what he was doing more than anything before, so Enzo continued, thrilled to be imparting such intense pleasure to the girl. Her sighs grew louder, her moans deeper, and her body was in a constant state of shivering as she ran her hands through his hair reflexively.

Enzo sensed a change as he continued to stimulate the small pleasure center inside the girl – he felt her body stiffen under him, her back arch and her shivers stop. A grunt escaped her lips, then another, and she threw her head back and wailed softly before collapsing back into the sand.

Alarmed, Enzo released her at once and cradled her head in his hands. "AndrAIa! AndrAIa, are you OK?" The game sprite didn't respond, eyes closed and chest heaving. "Oh User, Andri! Andri, please!"

"User…" she whispered hoarsely at last.

Enzo stroked her hair softly and kissed her forehead. "Andri, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry… Are you OK? I'm sorry…"

"Enzo… It's fine." She rasped, smiling slightly.

"Y-you're OK?"

"User! It was- it was incredible! I've never felt anything like that before…"

"You- You mean… You liked it? But I thought- When you screamed-"

"I'm sorry I scared you, silly boy." She giggled, her strength seeming to return. "It was… I do not know what happened. But it was incredible!"

"Oh, thank the User!" Enzo sighed, hugging her head to his chest. "I thought I hurt you! I really didn't know what I was doing…"

"You could have fooled me!"

He couldn't help giggling. He kissed her hair, over and over. "I love you so much, Andri."

"Mmmm." She purred, and kissed him on the lips. She looked down and smiled mischievously. "What happened to your thing?"

"My…" Enzo looked down and blushed bright red. His young manhood had wilted considerably after his moment of panic. "Oh! I… That's what it's like, most of the time. I guess."

"Lie back." AndrAIa cooed, gently pushing on his shoulders until he felt the back of his head touching the sand. "I wonder if I can make _you_ scream, too…"

"Andri?" he whispered, eyes wide. There was that terror again. It vanished soon enough, though, as he felt her kiss her way slowly down his torso, lightly flicking his nipples with her tongue before her lips caressed his belly and hips. "Oh, User!"

"Shhh." The game sprite slowly ran her hands up and down his legs, each touch bringing fire. Enzo moaned deeply as she kneaded his thighs over and over, feeling as though he would burst from the pleasure. Soon enough his member was harder than it had ever been, but he couldn't find the will to be embarrassed by it. All he knew was bliss. He sighed as she twirled a finger through the soft hair above his penis.

"What're these for?" AndrAIa smiled, gently rolling his scrotum in her fingers.

"I…I… I d-don't know." The young Guardian gasped. "But it feels g-good when you do that!"

"Then I shall keep doing it." She purred, and she did.

He could only moan and writhe, completely helpless under the power of her touch. A gasp escaped him as she circled a smooth, warm palm around the base of his shaft. She traced her finger around the head, smearing the slick fluid there all around his skin. "Oh, User! User…"

"So beautiful…" the game sprite said softly. "May I kiss it, Guardian?" Enzo wasn't sure if she saw the almost imperceptible nod of the head that was all he could muster, but got his answer when he felt her lips touch his flared crown. "You taste funny, Enzo. But nice."

"Nnnng!" Was all Enzo could offer in reply. He felt the same fire searing his body as he had in his dream, but it was real in a way that fire was not. He was here, thinking and breathing and feeling – and he knew at last the source of that fire. The only possible source. She was all over him, through him, subsuming him with ecstasy as she gently licked his crown and kissed down his shaft.

They were one, now – the only thing in the net that existed was the union of her mouth and his body, and it was incredible. He could feel something happening deep inside him, building, like in his dream – some pleasure even greater than what he was experiencing as she took his length inside her mouth for the first time. Every micron of him was channeling towards that building crescendo, he could feel it. He wanted to speak, to tell AndrAIa, but his throat was tight and all he could do was moan softly, over and over. His hands were in her hair, connecting them yet further by touch.

The fire became a thousand times greater than the infinity it had been. Enzo heard someone gasp, and realized that it was him. His body tensed, all over, his head lifting off the sand, and he felt a power course through him, through his manhood. He cried out once, twice, and was lost in blackness for a nano as the pleasure climaxed, sure it would kill him. It was too intense for him to survive, the boy was certain of it.

It seemed to last forever, like it could never end. He felt himself shooting something into AndrAIa's mouth, then again, and again. Her eyes widened in surprise but she kept him inside her, jacketing him in her warmth. Each spasm of pleasure was greater than the last until finally he could take no more, and fell back to the sand, panting.

There was blackness and stars, but the young Guardian couldn't even be certain that his eyes were open. Slowly his senses returned to him; the sound of the waves on the beach, the smell of their shared sweat, the feel of the sand under him. And the feel of her touch – her lips as they slowly released his member, her hands as they soothingly stroked his chest. It was incredible. And then she was there, next to him, kissing his cheek and stroking his face. "I'm- I'm sorry. I tried to… to warn you…"

"Don't be sorry." She smiled, and kissed him again. "It was wonderful."

"Oh User, yeah!" the boy groaned.

AndrAIa giggled softly and rested her cheek on his smooth chest, tracing a line on his throat with her finger. "You tasted sweet."

Enzo arched an eyebrow in surprise, then smiled. "I've never felt anything like that in my life, AndrAIa. Never. I never dreamed anything could feel like that."

"Oh, Enzo… I am so happy to see you smile."

"You can always make me smile."

"Hmmm."

"Come here." He whispered, opening his arms and embracing her as she came to him. He kissed her sweet lips one more time, relishing the taste of her as a pleasant warmth settled over him, very different from the fire of microseconds earlier but almost as pleasurable. "Promise me we'll always be together."

"I promise."

"User, I love you." He sighed, the feeling almost painful in its intensity.

"I love you, Enzo Matrix. I'll always love you till the minute I delete." She clung to him tightly as they lay together in the sand, the moonlight starting to fade as the gleaming orb set over the shimmering data sea. Enzo knew in his heart that there were secrets they hadn't explored that night, areas of each other they hadn't discovered. There was so much he still didn't understand, so much… Maybe they weren't ready to understand all of it just yet.

AndrAIa was warm as she snuggled against him, as warm as the night was cool. Her closeness was like a gift, and for the first time since they'd left Mainframe he felt lucky. He wondered for just a nano if he'd feel that way in the morning, but quickly shoved the thought aside as sleep slowly began to claim him. Andri was near him - her smell, her touch, her warmth, all of her perfection which filled him with giddy happiness. They were one, alone and together in the net, and that was all that mattered.

Frisket had returned when Enzo blinked his eyes open, squinting from the bright sunshine. The dog was lolling near where the boy lay, a few tufts of gray fur rimming his muzzle. Enzo almost thought he saw a knowing glint in the dog's eye and a smile at the corners of his mouth, but convinced himself that he was imagining it.

The boy breathed in deeply and took in the smell of AndrAIa, who was nestled in his embrace, her face tucked into the crook of his neck. Her nakedness – and his own – was shocking in the light of the new day, and the young Guardian felt himself flush with embarrassment as memory flooded into his processor. _My User – did we really do… do that? Was it a dream? I guess not…_

The girl stirred slightly and smiled in her sleep, and Enzo couldn't resist kissing her forehead softly. User, she was beautiful! And strangest of all, she thought he was too. How lucky could a boy be, he wondered. He kissed her again and she stirred, fluttered her eyes open and stared up at him, a surprised look flashing in them for the merest fraction of a nano. Then she smiled broadly. "Morning."

"Sorry I woke you."

"It's all right." The game sprite kissed his cheek and yawned. "That sun feels nice."

"Yeah it does." Enzo grinned.

"Hi Frisket! Did you get yourself some dinner last night? Looks like you did. Ugh…"

"Told you he was feral." Enzo giggled.

"I see your thing is big again." AndrAIa grinned slyly.

Enzo blushed a bright red. "It's like that every morning, seems like… And by the way - its called a penis, silly girl."

"Penis." The girl repeated thoughtfully. "I don't like it. I think it should have a nicer name than that."

"Maybe you'll think of one." Enzo sighed, anxious for a change of subject. The game sprite's seemingly total lack of self-consciousness was a trait he rarely shared.

"I already did. Maybe I'll tell you sometime…"

"Andri!" The boy narrowed his eyes at her for a moment, but she favored him only with a mischievous grin. He shook his head resignedly and lay back in the sand. "User, you're too much for me."

AndrAIa said nothing for a few nanos, content to rest her head on Enzo's shoulder and stare out at the blue data sea. "I wish we could stay here. It's such a beautiful place."

"Yeah." The boy sighed. His mood darkened at her words. They could be so happy – just the two of them and the rest of the net be deleted. User knew, he could spend a few more nights like the last and never tire of it.

"What's the matter, Enzo?" AndrAIa asked softly.

How she could read him! "I wish we could stay here, Andri. I wish all I ever had to worry about was being close to you. But we're still just as lost as we ever were, aren't we?"

"I suppose." She sighed. "But we have each other. So we're not really lost."

"Oh Andri…" He hugged her close to him, stroked her hair. "Dot and Bob still need me just as much as they ever did. Unless it's already too late… I let them down, Andri! I let them down and here I am wishing I could stay here and just be happy-"

"You didn't let them down. You're a hero! You've done so much! We'll find Bob and we'll get home. I know you can do it."

"Andri-"

"I know you'll do it." The girl repeated. She kissed his cheek softly. "I believe in you, Enzo Matrix. You're a Guardian. You've showed me things I never imagined. You're brave and strong and I know you'll get us home and I love you more than anything."

'AndrAIa-"

"Do it for me." She whispered. "I know you'll never give up. I need you."

"User, I need you too!" he sighed. "Just stay with me, OK? Please just stay with me."

"I'll never leave you."

"I'll never leave you. Never." He closed his eyes, blocking out all thought except his total love for the girl in his arms. She needed him and he'd get her home – whatever it took.

"Good." AndrAIa said softly at last. "So I guess we need to find a city and wait for the next game, don't we?"

"I guess we do." He reluctantly relaxed his grip on the game sprite and she raised herself onto her knees, facing him. "You're naked."

"So are you!" she giggled, tossing sand on him playfully. "I don't think we should go to town like that!"

"Guess not!" the boy laughed. He slowly pushed himself to his feet, a pleasant weariness still holding him in its grip. "Uh… AndrAIa?"

"Yes, Guardian?"

"I'm kinda sweaty after, you know… last night. And I've got sand everywhere. And I do mean _everywhere_!"

"Yes?" she giggled.

He grabbed her hands in his own. "I think we have time for a quick bath in the lagoon before breakfast. What do you say?"

"A bath?" she mused. "I suppose so… Who shall go first, Guardian?"

"Both of us!" he grinned, taking off towards the lagoon, dragging her in tow. Her laughter swept him along and they veritably danced across the sand and through the low brush. The game sprite broke free of his grip and leapt into the lagoon with a scream and a perfect cannonball, dousing him in the process. "Hey!"

"Get in here, you!" the girl giggled, and he was only too happy to oblige. He leapt into the lagoon and took her into his arms, tasting salt on her sweet lips. It was a perfect nano. Enzo knew there would be bad times ahead, hard struggles. But while they were no closer to Mainframe, they weren't lost. They would never be lost again, and nothing else mattered. Only AndrAIa. She was perfect, and she was his. He tasted her lips again, losing the sense of where he ended and she began, and hoping he would never find it. 


End file.
